17 - 21 September 2018

First International Conference on Dams

12 – 13 December 2018

Better dams for a Better World

July 5, 2017

With climate change, flood protection provided by dams will be ever more important.

Prague (July 5 2017)

Climate change is impacting the variability of water resources with more severe and frequent droughts and/or more flood. To lessen the consequences of those events, Dams and Reservoirs are the most efficient solution. That is adaptation. For example, Dams are an essential tool for protecting the populations against the disastrous floods, like those affecting the Czech Republic in 2002 and 2013 with terrible consequences.

Climate change also makes urgent the need to develop clean (carbon-free) energies to meet growing needs for power. Fortunately, solar and wind energies are becoming competitive and will be largely developed, provided there is enough energy storage to compensate for their intermittence. The only solution available today for massive storage at a reasonable price is to use reservoirs associated with pumped power stations. Hydropower is also a clean energy in itself. That is mitigation.

The services provided by dams (irrigation, hydropower production, water storage, flood protection, leisure…) are equally important for developed and developing countries. In Prague General Assembly, ICOLD will welcome three new countries in its family: Angola, Afghanistan and Bhutan. Thus reaching the mark of 100 country members.

ICOLD is working hard to disseminate knowledge through the work of its technical committees, the Science Congresses and Symposiums it organizes. Exemplary of this is the Symposium organized by the Czech National Committee on Large Dams today, on “knowledge-base dam engineering”.